


Shifting Narratives

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, Case Fic, Documentary Filmmaker, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Possible New Murders, Post-Prison, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-prison Arc Angst, Prison Interrogation, Serial Killers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 04:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11959932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: The BAU are called in to determine whether a serial killer has more undiscovered victims and the lengths to which his partner aided him. Complicating matters is a tenacious filmmaker making a documentary on the case and Reid's residual emotional trauma from being locked up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is being updated every Thursday and is also being posted on my tumblr: @illegalcerebral

“Avengers Assemble! We have a case” Garcia’s voice came across the bullpen closely followed by a collective groan. It was 4pm on a Friday and everyone had been hoping for an early start to the weekend.

“Sorry guys” said Emily as the team traipsed into the briefing room “This one is time sensitive. Who remembers the Harrison Michael Taylor case?”

“That was about seven years ago right?” said Luke “He abducted and killed a number of teenage girls?”

“Correct Newbie. Eight in total over ten years. He was arrested in 2010 along with his girlfriend Connie Georgette. Taylor confessed  but there was a huge question mark over the extent of Connie’s involvement. She has always refused to talk about the murders and didn’t defend herself at trial despite pleading not guilty.”

“She was seen with victim number six about four hours before her death” explained JJ “Plus the house they both shared was filled with trophies from not only their kills but a number of other girls that Harrison had stalked over the years” added Emily.

“But Harrison claimed he committed all the murders on his own right?” Rossi jumped in “Claimed that Connie was completely unaware”

“Yeah except there was no way that she didn’t at least know what was going on” said Emily. Her eyes flicked round the table before settling on Spencer who hadn’t spoken, hadn’t even looked up since they had started. Emily felt something twist in her stomach before Tara’s voice brought her back to the discussion.

“Why are we being called in now?”

“There have been a number of…developments”

“Sounds intriguing” quipped Rossi.

“That’s a massive understatement” said Garcia

“First of all a documentary filmmaker, Y/N, has been working on a film about the case and during several interviews Harrison has implied that there were more than just the eight victims” explained Emily.

“Isn’t Y/N the one who made that series about the guy falsely imprisoned for murder?” asked JJ.

“Yes!” Garcia’s face lit up ‘It was an indie series, she started working on it in her final year of film school and then she got tonnes of funding, it streamed online and became this sleeper hit. Seriously I watched the entire thing on my day off, bathroom breaks only”

“Aren’t you surrounded by that stuff everyday? I mean you’re the Queen of Kitten videos so why binge something like that?” asked Luke.

“Because Newbie the entire thing was super uplifting. That kid, Jake Mahoney was sent to prison when he was sixteen. No one believed him except Y/N, they were school friends. Can you imagine what that does to a person?”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop in an instant. Garcia’s eyes widened as she realised. Six pairs of eyes swivelled round to Spencer who didn’t so much as flinch, he just kept his eyes fixed on the file though it was clear he wasn’t reading.

“What else was there?” said Rossi after a few moments of awkward silence “You said there were a number of complications”

“Yes” said Emily “Recently Connie got a new lawyer who is arguing that she was coerced into helping Harrison. Connie came from an abusive home and had a history of being taken advantage of by domineering and violent men.”

“The case is being re-examined” explained Garcia.

“They want us to see if there is any credibility to either of these new theories” said Emily “Harrison is refusing to speak with us unless Y/N is allowed to keep making her film and Connie has only agreed to see her lawyer, her mother and just recently Y/N since she was incarcerated. It’s not going to be easy.”

“Is this filmmaker going to make things difficult for us?” asked Rossi.

“She’s a crusader for truth!” said Garcia “You know the whole protector of the weak, fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves schtick. I follow her on Twitter, she’s crazy passionate about this”

“Bet the publicity doesn’t help either” said JJ

“Get yourselves ready, wheels up in forty. Spencer can I talk to you a sec?”

Spencer kept his face blank as the rest of the team filed out after a moment’s hesitation. Emily didn’t speak until they were alone.

“I got a call from Cruz, you missed your last appointment with the therapist” she said flatly.

“I…lost track of time. I’ll make it up next week” said Spencer. Emily fixed him with a look of disbelief.

“Spencer I don’t need to tell you how important those sessions are and not just because they’re a condition of your probation-”

“I know” snapped Spencer “It was a one time mistake. It’s not going to happen again”

“You have six months left until your evaluation. Cruz and I had to fight to get you reinstated” said Emily, her voice rising “I know you have been through something horrific but for God’s sake Spencer…”

Spencer knew deep down that she was right. That didn’t mean he was happy about it. He thought when they cleared his name it was over, that after they rescued his mother that things could finally get back to normal but he’d still broken bureau protocol and apparently the higher ups no longer “trusted his judgement”. Fourteen years at the FBI and he’s gone from the golden boy to a screw up in a few months.

“There’s something else” added Emily, with a note of hesitancy “Obviously Harrison is in prison and that’s where we’re interviewing him so it’s probably best if you sit this one out”

“What?” Spencer leapt to his feet “You can’t do that!”

“I am not sending you back inside a prison. That’s final”

“What the hell am I supposed to do here?”

“Rearrange you’re therapy session for starters, there’s paperwork and we have requests for overviews and profiles from a number of-”

“No” said Spencer “Just-no I’m not staying here. I am a part of this team and I’m coming with you even if I can’t go into the prison”.

Emily was silent for a long time. She felt conflicted. On the one hand she didn’t want risk Spencer’s well being but on the other hand it wouldn’t be much better if he was isolated from the team.

“Okay” she said finally “You can come but you stay at the police station, we’re liaising with the locals in the case of more bodies.”

“Thank you” said Spencer as the tension left his body.

“Don’t thank me till this is over” warned Emily

* * *

The filmmaker life was far less glamorous that most people would believe. You had spent about half your time living out of your van in the midst of second hand recording equipment and multi-packs of energy drinks. Thankfully a grant from an arts charity meant that for the last month you had been able to stay in a cheap motel about half an hour away from the prison.

Today was going to be tough. Truth be told, Harrison’s ultimatum to the FBI made you uncomfortable  for several reasons. Firstly, you didn’t want anyone to assume you were an ally of Harrison’s, that you were somehow deluded enough to think he was innocent or, even worse, that you condoned his crimes. You were interested in what drove him to do those things, what helped him evade capture for so long and, if you were honest, what was the mindset of a man who knew he was going to die in prison.

As you drove up to the police station your mind turned to Connie - the reason you got involved in all of this in the first place. After seeing your documentary about Jake, Connie’s mother had sent you an email. Gillian was convinced of her daughter’s innocence and she wanted you to help Connie like you helped Jake. You explained that it was easier said than done but that you would look into it at the very least but here you were all this time later, ready to meet an elite team from the FBI. 

This wasn’t going to be fun. You had no doubt that the FBI wasn’t interested in working with an outsider, a suspicion that was partially confirmed when you met the team.

“SSA Prentiss” the woman in charge stuck out her hand after Captain Nelson had introduced you.

“Y/N” you answered as you shook her hand “I’ve been reading up about the BAU, you guys do some seriously impressive work”

“These are agents Jareau, Rossi, Alvez and Doctors Lewis and Reid” said Prentiss, indicating each member in turn “Since it’s late we’re going to spend tonight getting up to date with the case and what your impressions of Mr Taylor and Ms Georgette are from your interviews”

“I’m not a profiler”

“No” said the woman introduced as Dr Lewis “But you clearly understand people and you’ve spent a lot of time talking to Mr Taylor”

“He’s spent a lot of time performing for me” you clarified, and you saw a smile tug at the corner of Dr Lewis’ lips “I want to make it clear from where I’m standing he’s guilty as hell and he’s a danger to anyone who comes in contact”

“Good to hear” said Prentiss “Tell us everything you know”


	2. Chapter 2

You filled Agent Prentiss and her team in on your background with the case starting with Gillian Georgette’s email to you.

“It took a while for Connie to agree to talk to me” you finished “Harrison was much more eager. He’s a showman - loves an audience.”

“Connie is refusing to talk to anyone apart from her mother, her lawyer and now you. Why do you think that is?” asked Agent Prentiss. You shifted slightly in your seat, well aware that your every movement was being scrutinised.

“Honestly I have no idea” you admitted eventually “I think she’s still wary about opening up to people. I haven’t been able to get her to talk about the murders yet”

“What does she talk about?” asked Tara

“Places she used to go to and wants to visit. I think its so her mind can go somewhere else and she doesn’t feel so trapped” you said and you could have sworn you saw one of the agents - Dr Reid? - flinch at your comment.

“Thank you” said Agent Prentiss, holding her hand out once again, which you took. “This has been very useful. I appreciate this whole thing puts you in an awkward position”

“All I’m interested in is the truth” you said “ I suspect the same is true for you”

You left the station feeling far more optimistic that when you had arrived which made the shock when you returned the next morning all the worse.

* * *

“I’m sorry what?” You stood in front of the Captain, hands on hips and eyes blazing. His expression was equally hard. You could feel half the officers in the precinct hovering nearby to see what was going to go down and the other half scurrying to get out of the fallout.

Dr Reid was slumped at a nearby desk, barely acknowledging either of you. He was surrounding by files and what you recognised as crime scene photos.

“The team has gone to the prison” Captain Nelson explained after taking a deep breath.  _Patronising bastard_.

“These interviews were agreed to on the belief that I would be involved” you retorted “I should be there”

“You’re a civilian. If you were an FBI agent you would know that the first rule of interrogations is not to give them what they want and what Harrison Michael Taylor wants is you” Nelson snapped. You raised an eyebrow. Clearly he was parroting whatever line he had been fed by the feds. You spun around and fixed Dr Reid with a glare.

“Is that true?” you demanded. Dr Reid’s head snapped up and he blinked rapidly.

“Huh?” You resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

“Is it an interrogation tactic to go in to the meeting with Harrison without me?”

Dr Reid leaned back in his chair, brow furrowed. You snuck a sideways glance at Captain Nelson who nervously waited for an answer.

“It’s meant to wrong foot him” Dr Reid said eventually “By denying what he wants, in this case an audience - you, they are forcing him to play by their rules”

You noted the use of the words ‘they’ and ‘them” as opposed to ‘us’ and ‘ours’. Interesting.

“Satisfied?” snapped the Captain.

“Hardly” you said without bothering to look at him. Instead you perched on the edge of the table that Dr Reid was sitting at. He seemed momentarily taken aback by the movement but recovered quickly. Nelson slunk off, exasperated. Now you could get a proper look at Reid he was much younger than you had expected but there was something about him that made you look twice. Deep in his eyes was a kind of haunted look. You felt a sudden twinge of pity but could not pinpoint why. “Is that technique likely to yield results?”

“We’ve been honing these techniques for years” said Reid.

“But everyone’s different right?” you said “I mean you say Harrison wants an audience - me - but surely your agents would count in that respect? What are you denying him?”

“For one you aren’t law enforcement. The dynamic in your conversations was that of interviewer and interviewee. They’re going in to interrogate him”

“He’s been interrogated in the past. He hasn’t divulged anything he hasn’t wanted to.”

“He’s been interrogated by the police. Not the BAU”

“Why are you here?” you asked and the sudden change of subject seemed to send a jolt through Reid.

“I…I’m reviewing the files from the original case” he gestured to the papers spread out in front of him, most of which were familiar to you. You looked at him carefully. It was a lie but not one to derail you in terms of the investigation. The flush in his cheeks told you this was personal, a lie to conceal something.

“And?”

“And what?”

“Have you found anything useful?”

“Not that I can share with you” Reid response was sharper than he had meant “I mean it’s confidential.”

“I hate to break it to you but I’ve seen most of this before.” Suddenly an idea struck you. “I’m guessing the prison is off limits for now right?”

Reid nodded, having gone quite pale. Why? You shrugged it off, a question for later.

“I’ll tell you what isn’t in those files. Gillian Georgette believes her daughter is innocent.”

“She only did one interview with police and she wouldn’t explain why she believes Connie wasn’t involved”

“Would you like to ask her?”

Reid sat up straighter.

“She won’t talk to the authorities.”

“She’ll talk to me” you said with a wicked grin “Give me fifteen minutes to call her and try and set something up. We get this for your boss and maybe I can go back to the prison?” Reid hesitated, you looked at him intensely.

“I’m not making any promises.”

“Great! Get your stuff together, I’ll call Gillian.”

It actually took longer that fifteen minutes to convince Gillian but eventually she relented in the hope of saving Connie.

“You’re driving” you told Reid matter of factly as you strode out of the station “Come on.”

* * *

“So why where you really left behind at the station?” you asked as you drove through the countryside. The first twenty minutes of the journey had been in uneasy silence and you couldn’t take it anymore. Reid tensed, you noticed he knuckles were white as he clutched the steering wheel.

“You’re kind of rude you know?” he said, irritated.

“I’m aware” you said “That doesn’t answer my question though”

“It’s none of your business”

“You’re being punished,” you said “And you aren’t happy about it”.

Reid opened his mouth and then closed it again. A small sense of triumph washed over you. 

“Hmmm. Okay. What did you do?”

Again you were met with silence but you noticed he was going paler. 

“I really dislike playing games.”

“Fine, don’t tell me. Just so you know I think that meeting Gillian will tell you more about the case than talking to Harrison will. He’s a compulsive liar” you said.

“Thanks we’d actually managed to work that out for ourselves thanks” said Reid. To his surprise you laughed.

“Yeah I guess  you don’t need to be profiler to work that one out. Why did you become a profiler anyways?”

“Are you incapable of asking a question that isn’t personal?”

“No.”

This time is was his turn to laugh though he tried to stifle it. You grinned at him, waiting for an answer.

“I guess I wanted to know why people do what they do” he said finally “Isn’t that why you make documentaries?”

“I guess” you said “So have you found it yet? The secret to what makes us do things?”

“No” he said after a long pause, and you noticed a look of sadness about him that tugged at something inside you “What about you?”

“I feel like I know less about what drives people now than when I started.”

“What about Jake?”

“I didn’t think you were familiar with my work”

“I watched the whole thing in one go” he said quietly “It was… intense.” You were in dangerous waters and you knew it. “How is he now? I mean, you were so focussed on getting him free but there was nothing at the end about how he’s doing now? Is he okay?” He wasn’t really asking about Jake, you realised. You considered carefully before answering.

“He’s different” you said finally “He didn’t do well in prison, he was never a tough kid. I wanted to get him free but when he was out I guess he needed to heal on his own away from people watching him you know?”

Reid nodded. You pulled up to a little house that belonged to Gillian Georgette but neither of you made a move to leave the car.

“I was in prison for three months” Reid said finally “I was framed for murder”

“I..” you were about to say “I’m sorry” but it seemed so weak and meaningless. You put a hand on his arm instead, he glanced down but made no move to shy away.

“Edmond Dantes” you said eventually “ _The Count of Monte Cristo_? You know it? I’ve only seen the movie but it’s a good story”

“I’ve read the book a couple of times” said Reid, in the original French actually but he didn’t add that.

“He was fine in the end, Jake will be fine in the end and so will you. I promise.”

He smiled gratefully at you.

“Thank you” he said “But  _The Count of Monte Cristo_  is kind of a gruesome revenge story.”

“Maybe don’t read too much into the comparison” you said “Gillian’s expecting us. Coming Monte Cristo?”


	3. Chapter 3

Gillian Georgette was a small woman with a short greying bob and pale, sad eyes. There was something desperate about her which you had noticed from your first face to face meeting. Sitting in her small sitting room she eyed Reid warily. It had taken a little bit of persuasion to her her to let him come but ultimately she would do anything for her daughter’s release.

“What was Connie like growing up?” Reid asked. His voice was gentle. Obviously he had a lot of experience talking to witnesses and putting people at ease but you marvelled at how quickly Gillian seemed to relax around him.

“A quiet girl” said Gillian after a moment’s hesitation “Bookish, not much for spending time with other children. Home wasn’t a good place to be so she would go out into the woods a lot. Her Papa took her hunting sometimes. Only time he was interested in her” Gillian paused and she looked between the two of you “Jonathan was a difficult man. Did his best but life was cruel to him and he reacted in kind.”

“Was he ever violent towards either of you?” Reid asked. Again, Gillian hesitated.

“He got frustrated easily. Not his fault. Things were always bearing down on him. Sometimes he had to get it out of him you know?”

“The police were called a number of times Gillian” Reid said softly “You spent two weeks in hospital with a broken jaw and five cracked ribs. That’s more than blowing off steam”. Gillian had a dazed look in her eyes, like she wasn’t there. Reid glanced at you and you shrugged. Gillian had a habit of closing up when the conversation took a turn she wasn’t all that comfortable with. 

“What about Harrison?” you said and she snapped back to the present “Can you tell Dr Reid about when he and Connie started dating?”

“They met about a year before Jonathan passed. He was too old for her I think” said Gillian “But he worships the ground she walks on. Calls her his angel. Better man than her Papa that’s for sure”

Reid raised an eyebrow.

“What about the girls he killed?”

“I didn’t know anything about that.”

“Were you ever worried for Connie, for her safety I mean?”

“No, Harrison took good care of her. He protected her.”

“From her father?” Reid asked 

“From the world” said Gillian. After a long pause she continued. “I haven’t offered you a drink. Coffee?”

Both Reid and yourself accepted and waited for her to shuffle out of the room.

“So?” you turned to Reid.

“Clearly she’s traumatised” said Reid “Maybe it’s because she doesn’t know me but she’s kind of vague about a lot of stuff”

“She’s very guarded” you agreed “Even though she approached me it took her a while to open up. She’s never admitted her husband was abusive either but that’s not unusual right?”

“No it’s not” Reid shook his head sadly and your heart ached “Is she here on her own, no one to look after her?”

“There’s a neighbour but Connie was the one that took care of her primarily. I think this whole this has really taken it’s toll on her. Some days I come over and she doesn’t want to talk about Connie at all and other days she gets so worked up and angry over the whole thing. She can shout for hours.”

“How did Connie’s father die?” 

“I think it was a hunting accident” you said with a frown “Why?”

“Maybe that’s how Harrison coerced Connie into helping him. He got rid of her abuser and he feels like she owes her.”

“Harrison didn’t kill my husband. it was the will of God” said Gillian quietly . The two of you jumped at the sound of her voice. Gillian didn’t seemed upset or offended she seemed...determined. 

“I didn’t mean to offend” said Reid accepting the chipped mug of coffee, “What do you mean ‘the will of God’?”

“I mean what I mean” said Gillian “Jonathan was struck down by the hand of God”

“I see” said Spencer before taking a sip of coffee. He managed to turn the conversation back to Connie’s childhood. according to Gillian, Connie had always loved nature and being outside. They never had any pets but loved animals and used to take care of the neighbour’s dog which no one else would go near. School was difficult for her, she never had many friends and she started skipping classes. Hunting was the only time she did anything with her father but she would take her mother to church three times and week and help her in the garden and running errands for her.”

“The two of you are close” said Reid with a smile. It wasn’t a question. You notice how Gillian’s face lit up.

“She’s my whole world, that’s why I can’t lose her”

“Thank you Gillian” Reid said as the two of you left “Could I come again soon?” This time Gillian didn’t hesitate before nodding. 

“I’m impressed” you said once you were back in the car, driving to the station “Gillian warmed up to you pretty quickly”

“She reminds me a bit of my mother” he said quietly “Whether Connie is innocent or not this must be devastating for her”

“Yeah” you said “She was really dependent on Connie before her husband died, and then after that...like she said, Connie is her whole world. Do you think she did it?”

“Connie? I would need to talk to her to say either way. One thing I am sure of is that Gillian is hiding something”

“The question is what and why” you finished.


	4. Chapter 4

“You were supposed to stay here and interview y/n” sighed Emily. 

You had dropped Spencer off at the station before heading back to the motel to get on with some editing.

“Here’s my card. If anything case related comes up or you wanna talk or something…” you trailed off, feeling a little silly but he looked grateful as he took the card. He  _was_  grateful. As he entered the station he realised it was the first time in a long time that he actually felt normal. Then Emily had beckoned him into the small room being used as their base.

“I did talk to her” said Spencer, which wasn’t technically a lie “She offered me a chance to talk to Gillian Georgette and I took it. Gillian opened to up to me because I was there with y/n, she wouldn’t have otherwise”

“Spencer you should have let one of us know”

“I’m not a child! I was pursuing a line of investigation” Spencer’s voice got louder.

“With a civilian, without informing your unit chief!”

“Because my Unit Chief, along with the rest of my team, shut me out of the case!”

People were stopping outside the room now but Spencer had no intention of letting up.

“We didn’t shut you out” Emily retorted “Do you really think you of all people should be setting foot in a prison now?”

“Yes Emily!” Spencer yelled. The rest of the team had clustered outside the door, their faces etched with concern. “Actually I do. Obviously I have a better understanding of the place than you guys do and you were more than happy to let me go and confront Cat”

“That was different!”

“Was it?”

“For God’s sake Spencer of course it was! We were trying to save your mother, If there had been any way to do that without sending you into a prison I would have.” Emily took a deep shuddering breath and when she spoke again her voice was softer. “This is not a criticism of your abilities or a way to punish you. It’s for your own good”

“How is it for my own good?” demanded Spencer “Why can’t you just let me do my job like normal? I want to go and interview Connie Georgette with y/n. There was something off about her mother today and I think if I can sit down with her I can-”

“No way. You’re clearly trying to prove something!”

Spencer didn’t bother to respond, just stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He heard JJ call out for him but ignored her, desperate to be alone. Outside the sunshine was dazzling and without knowing where he was headed he began to amble down the street, needing a way to get rid of the tension that was building up inside him. 

Spencer knew, deep down that Emily had a point, or that at the very least she was doing what she thought was best for him. He was fine though, he told himself, he had been out of prison for months, his mother was recovering and his job was the only thing that had yet to return to the way things were before. Sure he wasn’t sleeping but he had always been a bit of an insomniac and it was better than the nightmares at any rate.

After an hour the walk still wasn’t helping. Periodically he could feel his phone buzz from an incoming call or text but Spencer ignored it. Then he had a thought that stopped him in his tracks. Digging into his pockets he found the business card and pulled out his phone.

“Hey Monte Cristo, what can I do for you?”

* * *

Back at the station Emily tried ringing Reid for the sixth time. She knew that he just needed to blow off steam but that didn’t stop her worrying. Things had been different once he was released from prison. At first it had been all hands on deck to deal with Cat and then the run in with Scratch and Spencer had been sorting out his mother, so that healing period had been delayed and Emily was sure that was the reason things were the way they were now.

Emily had tried every approach she could think of, acutely aware that she was treading a fine line between smothering him and not supporting him. Her mind drifted back nearly a decade to the Hankel case, to the weeks and months that had followed when everyone could see something was wrong but no one knew what to do.

When confronted Gideon had brushed the whole thing off, his way off dealing schools was old-school and, if Emily was truthful, ineffective and damaging.  _Don’t you think I know something’s wrong?_  Gideon had snapped at her when she had gone to him.  _If you knew why didn’t you do something then?_  Maybe he had but Emily suspected that his approach had been more hands off than that.

Here she was in danger of making the same mistakes and the thought was killing her.


	5. Chapter 5

It only took Spencer about twenty minutes to get to your motel room. You smiled warmly at him when he arrived but the smile he returned was strained.

“You sounded kind of upset on the phone” you said, closing the door behind him. “Did you get in trouble with your boss?”

“I guess kind of” Spencer said with a small shrug. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing here, he just knew that he didn’t want to be with the team but he didn’t want to be alone anymore either. Spencer had always been the introverted type, happy with his own company but since coming home solitude had felt threatening. It was like there was always something just out of sight, waiting to strike.

_You’re gonna need eyes in the back of your head._

“Hey Monte Cristo” Your voice stirred Spencer from the unpleasant memory. 

“Huh?”

“Where did you go just then?”

Spencer shrugged again. You were looking at him with concern now and that just made it worse. He hated people pitying him, it made him feel weak.

“I’m fine. Just frustrated I guess.” 

You nodded, not believing a word of it. You offered him a drink and then the two of you sat in a slightly awkward silence, sipping cheap vodka and soda on either side of the bed. The room was laden with filming equipment, the laptop you were using for editing and boxes of papers. You had done your best to tidy up before Dr Reid arrived. 

“Dr Reid I don’t want to intrude but-”

“Spencer. Or if you prefer ‘Monte Cristo’, I’ve been called worse things.” 

You laughed.

“I was just gonna say, you seem like you need to talk to someone, get something off your chest. I’m guessing this case is a tough one for you personally?” you said. 

Spencer wanted to get annoyed, to yell that you didn’t know what you were talking about and that he was fine, everything was fine but he just didn’t have the energy. He drained the glass, wincing slightly, before speaking.

“Maybe. I just feel like I’m trying to move on and no-one’s letting me.”

You said nothing and Spencer took this as a sign to carry on.

“I’m fine. I’m over it. I was innocent and I got out and I just want to get back to normal”

“Being in prison for three months sounds like a pretty big deal” you said “I guess your team just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“I am” Spencer protested weakly “I just feel like they’re not giving me the chance to show them that. It’s like the don’t trust me or my judgement and I feel that I’m being accused all over again. Like I’m letting them down again”

“How are you letting them down?” you shifted closer to him, setting your drink down on the bedside table.

Spencer took a deep breath and explained how his mother had been sick and how he’d brought her home and started trying an experimental treatment he could only get in Mexico and how he’s been drugged and framed for murder hence him being in prison.

You were stunned and completely unsure how to respond.

“Sorry I don’t mean to burden you with all that” said Spencer. He grabbed the bottle from earlier and refilled both your glasses before settling back down. 

“No I just don’t know what to say and I’m a firm believer that platitudes don’t work”

“Thanks, I’ve kind of had enough with people telling me that it will get easier and stuff like that”.

“So your team got you out?”

“They worked out that a woman I arrested and her girlfriend worked together to frame me as revenge"

You coughed as you took a mouthful drink. It burnt your throat and you had to scramble for a bottle of water.

“Spencer that sounds like a fucking soap opera”

“Yeah felt like one too” Spencer said. You noticed him gripping his glass tighter and hesitantly you laid your hands over his.

“I know a little about what it feels like when you have no control” you said softly “and I know that after that you will do anything and everything you have to, to feel in control again”. He looked at you intensely and you could see he wanted to ask you about it but the look on your face was enough to stop him.

“I thought I was going to die in there” he said “And then when I got out and I confronted her it was like she was ten steps ahead. She had my mother, she had all this information on me. I was scrabbling around in the dark, no idea what to do. She said…she said she was pregnant.” You frowned but said nothing. “She said it was mine”. He looked so defeated.

“Hang on, you were with this woman?” you asked, confused.

“No” he swallowed before continuing “I was drugged in Mexico and she was working with a partner so she made it seem like…” his voice trailed off. Instinctively you withdrew your hands, hoping you hadn’t overstepped the mark or made him feel uncomfortable. He glanced down and then set aside his own glass before continuing “It was all a lie but I still felt…”

“Violated?” you asked gently. You had experience with that too. “Like you’re separated from your body? Like you can’t trust anyone anymore?”

“Yeah, exactly like that”

You didn’t say anything. Nothing felt like it would be enough. You could tell exactly why his team was worried about him but you knew why he felt he needed to go back out and start living again.

“I’m not sure that this is what you want to hear” you began “I know you want everything to go back to normal but it isn’t going to be that easy”

“I know” Spencer said sadly, and your heart broke a little.

“But you can find a new normal I promise” you said “It may take a little while but you’ll heal and you’ll be stronger”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience”

“Yeah well that’s a long story for another time but pretty much” you smiled at him.

“Thank you” he said smiling back and your stomach did a little flip.  _Really? Now? After that conversation, what is wrong with you?_  You scolded yourself but you couldn’t help yourself leaning in, Spencer mirroring your actions. He was very close now and for a moment you thought… 

“I think you should get some rest” you said softly “It’s be a tough day”

No you definitely weren’t going to take advantage of this situation. It felt wrong.

“Um, do you mind if I crash on the floor here?” asked Spencer embarrassed “We have a hotel in town but I kind of need some space from the team”

“Only if you call them first. I don’t want them thinking that you’ve been abducted and you can take the bed I can sleep in the chair”

Spencer ended up calling JJ who was relived to finally get through to him. After reassuring her he was fine, he just needed to be alone, he sank back down on the bed.

“Are you feeling better?” you asked

“Yeah actually I am. Thank you.” You flashed him a goofy smile, delighted you could help him in some small way.

“We all need a little help now and then. It doesn’t make us weak. You look like you’re about to ask me something”. 

“It’s silly”

“What is it?”

“Could you sit with me a bit?” asked Spencer, feeling incredibly childish “Just while I fall asleep?” He was surprised when you answered without hesitating.

“Sure, move over”

Spencer stretched out on the bed while you sat on the edge. He reached out and lightly touched your hand so you took his, your thumb lightly rubbing the back of his hand and he feel asleep, calmed by the soothing motion.


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m sorry”

Spencer stood in front of Emily in the station the next morning. He felt like a child who’d calmed down after a tantrum, ashamed and embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry too” said Emily to his surprise. When he looked at her she also looked embarrassed. “I never meant to make you feel like I had no confidence in you or your abilities. I never wanted our concern for you to feel like a burden.”

“I know you’re all worried about me” said Spencer “It can’t have been easy on you guys when I was locked up. You felt out of control like I did and like me you’re just trying to regain some of that”. Now it was Emily’s turn to look surprised.

“I don’t know where you went yesterday but I’m kind of glad you did”

“Me too”

“And I wanted to ask you something”

“Anything”

“Actually two things. Firstly I’d like you to brief the rest of the team on your discussion with Gillian Georgette and compare it to what we found when talking to Harrison yesterday and secondly I was hoping you could ask y/n to come back in. I think maybe we could have handled yesterday a little better and Connie refuses to talk to us still”

“She was pretty mad at first” Spencer admitted “Though I think that was largely due to Captain Nelson. Honestly she just wants to find out the truth.”

“You got to know her pretty well yesterday huh?”

When Spencer had woken up that morning you were still on the bed next to him, his hand gripped in yours but you both must have shifted during the night. You were leaning back against the head board but had slid down enough so that Spencer could rest his head on your chest. He had been absolute mortified when he had woken up and was just thankful he hadn’t drooled in his sleep. Your free hand had found it’s way to his head, combing through his hair. It had felt nice, soothing. Honestly, embarrassment aside, it was one of the best night’s sleep he’d had since leaving prison. When you’d woken a short while later he had thanked you again and treated you to breakfast at the diner round the corner before heading back to the station.

“Yeah I guess so” Spencer answered Emily, trying and failing to sound casual “i’ll just go and ring her now”

“Yeah, do that” said Emily with a smirk.

* * *

“Monte Cristo! I figured you weren’t the sort to leave a girl hanging” you said answering the phone. 

“I think I may have a way to make up for you missing the prison visit yesterday. My boss was wondering if you would come in and maybe help us with Connie. I know it’s kind of-”

“I’ll do it. Anything to help Connie”  _And I’d like to see you again_ , you thought but there was no way you were going to say that out loud.

“Great!” said Spencer, more enthusiastically than he meant to “I’m going to brief the team on our meeting with Gillian yesterday and then could you maybe bring some of the tapes of your conversations with Connie”

“Connie never let me record during our interviews” you said “But I did make notes after each time I spoke to her that I could bring”

“That would be great. See you in an hour or so?”

“I’ll be there”

* * *

It didn’t take long for Spencer to relay the previous days events to the team. In turn they told him what they had found out from Harrison Michael Taylor.

“He was very upfront about killing these eight girls” explained JJ “He was very graphic when he was reminiscing”

“Y/n said he was a showman, she found the same in her interviews with him” said Spencer “So his guilt isn’t in question. What reason did he give?”

“He’s holding to the story that he was on a mission to rid the world of evil, that God told him who to kill” said Luke.

“Is the delusion genuine?” asked Spencer.

“At it’s core we think so” said Tara “He kept mentioning God’s messenger. That phrase popped up over and over again. ‘God’s messenger told me who was unworthy.’ Going back over trial transcripts police interviews and the footage than y/n shot, he always talks about that”.

“Gillian said that her husband’s death was God’s will” said Spencer suddenly.

“Could she be involved?” asked JJ. 

Spencer hesitated.

“She was definitely evasive and she’s a very devout woman. I wouldn’t say she was capable now but she’s a submissive personality and if Harrison killed her husband she may feel she owes him a debt.”

“The same could be true with Connie” said Luke “In that case it’s definitely coercion”

“Without talking to Connie we can’t be sure” said Emily

“And Connie has said she’ll only talk to us if y/n is there” finished JJ.

“I’ll go”

Everyone turned to look at Spencer.

“It makes the most sense. I’ve already spoken to her mother, with y/n she can vouch for me and I have a pretty good idea about y/n’s interviewing technique and how she got through to Connie plus…I can relate can’t I?” 

Emily opened her mouth to answer but was stopped as a local cop showed you in. 

“Umm hi” you said awkwardly, acutely aware that they had been in the middle of something when you arrived. You held up your written notes. “This is everything I wrote down about my conversations with Connie. I made copies for everyone”

“Great” Emily seemed relieved by the distraction and didn’t look at Spencer as she gestured for you to sit down and you began to hand out the papers to everyone “Overall what’s your impression of her?”

“I think she’s resigned herself to spending the rest of her life in prison.” you said “There’s a kind of, I don’t know… I don’t want to say a kind of hopelessness. It’s more a kind of quiet acceptance. She isn’t fighting.”

“It doesn’t say much about the actual murders here” said Tara as she skimmed the notes “You didn’t speak about them at all?”

“I didn’t bring it up at all the first time we met and then when I tried to bring it up after that she was evasive. I get the impression she’s squeamish about the details. Connie never gave any names, just referred to them as ‘those girls’ of Harrison’s’”

“That’s odd” said Rossi “So she clearly knew something was going on but that makes it sound like she wasn’t directly involved. Did you think she seemed scared of him when they together?”

“Honestly? No. If anything I think she misses him.”

“She keeps saying that Harrison is the only man who ever loved her, that he was the only one she could really trust and be herself with” said Spencer, scanning through the notes “It seems to fit with how Gillian described their relationship. He protected them both.”

“It also fits with what we found when we interviewed him” said JJ “When we mentioned Connie all he could say is how much he loved her, how she was his angel and how she was the single most important thing in his life”

“And he vehemently denied that Connie had anything to do with the murders” said Luke “I think that was genuine. He really loves her.”

“Maybe that’s why it was so easy for Harrison to rope her into his crimes” you said, sadly “She spent her whole life desperate to be loved, to be safe and when someone came along who offered that she would do anything to keep that”

“Including murder” added Spencer “Emily we need to talk to her!”

Emily paused, her gaze switching between the two of you.

“Okay” she said finally “Set up an interview for this afternoon. You can take the lead and the rest of us will observe.”

Spencer let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. He gave Emily a small nod and then turned to you.

“We need to come up with a battle plan”


	7. Chapter 7

The women’s prison was adjacent to the men’s luckily for the team. They shared some facilities and personnel but the prisoners never interacted. Overall the women’s prison was smaller but no less intimidating.

You glanced aside at Spencer worriedly. Following your discussion on how best to interrogate Connie, most of the time had been taken up with him assuring Agent Prentiss that he was going to be okay. You were concerned but you didn’t want him thinking you doubted his abilities.

He kept his cool as you were let into the prison, checked over by guards and finally led to the dingy interrogation room. Connie had agreed to let you bring in your camera on the condition that she could decide whether she wanted to be recorded after you had introduced Spencer.

It seemed to take ages for them to bring Connie in. Spencer looked tense so you gave his hand a quick squeeze under the table. He smiled at you gratefully and looked like he was about to say something before Connie arrived, flanked by a guard.

She looked much younger than she was, with big eyes and a thin frame. You smiled warmly at her but it wasn’t returned. As the three of you sat down, Connie eyed Spencer warily.

“Hi Connie, I’m Dr Spencer Reid. Thanks for agreeing to talk with us today”

When Connie spoke her voice was only slightly louder than a whisper.

“What do you want from me?”

“He wants to talk a little about Harrison and Harrison’s girls” you said gently “And about more general stuff too.”

“I don’t want to talk about Harrison.”

“Why not?” asked Spencer.

Connie looked tired, she rubbed her eyes and waited a while before answering.

“Because that part of my life is over” said Connie “What’s the point on dwelling on that now?”  
  
“Harrison says that there are other girls that were never found. Their bodies are still buried out there - don’t you think they should be returned to their families?” asked Spencer.

Connie said nothing, but her eye twitched slightly.

“Why don’t they call you agent like the rest of your team?” she asked eventually.

“I prefer to go by Doctor. I worked hard for those degrees. If you don’t want to talk about Harrison, do you want to talk about something else?”

“You can turn the camera on if you want” said Connie, ignoring Spencer’s question “You went and saw my Mom?”

“We both went” you answered, flicking the camera on and getting it in position. The frame was tight on Connie’s face.

“How is she?”

“She’s worried about you Connie” said Spencer “She also told us about your Dad and how good Harrison was to the two of you after he died”

“He was. He was very good to us. My father.... was not an easy man to live with”

“Did he hurt you?” Spencer asked.

“In what way?”

“Any way”

“He was born wrong you know? Born with something broken inside of him. Harrison would say he was forsaken”

“Forsaken by who?”

“God I guess” said Connie with a shrug. Spencer frowned. Part of you wanted to jump in, ask your own questions as this was the most talkative that Connie had been regarding Harrison. She had still avoided the subject of the murders and other potential victims though and you suspected that Spencer may be able to get her to open up.

“Was that why Harrison chose those girls? Because they were forsaken by God too?” Spencer asked. Connie looked thoughtful for a moment, like she was considering her answer carefully.

“They were” she said finally “Harrison felt that it was his mission from God to save forsaken souls, the souls of the damned, those who had been cast away”

“Like Lily?”  
  
“Who?” Connie asked. her voice was flat but something flashed in her eyes.

“Lily Fitzpatrick. Lily was the girl you were spotted with hours before she died. CCTV picked you picked talking to her outside a bar” Spencer pulled some grainy stills out of the file brought with him. Then he pulled out her license photo. Lily was so young, no more than seventeen you guessed with bright green eyes and dimples.

“Was Lily forsaken too?” asked Spencer. Connie’s eyes flicked down to the photograph and lingered for a split second before staring down Spencer.

“I don’t remember her”

“Really? You were talking to her outside that bar for about an hour or so” said Spencer “That necklace she’s wearing was found in your apartment along with items taken from seven other young women. Were they forsaken too?”

“I don’t remember her” Connie repeated “I’m not saying it didn’t happen, I just don’t remember her”

“Lily left home at fifteen because her father had beat her mother most of her life and had started beating her too. Sound familiar?” Connie stiffened.

“Most of the girls that Harrison killed came from similar backgrounds” you said “Troubled homes, abusive parents, few friends - no one to miss them. I think you may have been the first person that day that Lily had a proper conversation with.”

“I don’t remember her” Connie repeated. She was lying.

“A whole hour Connie” said Spencer “What would you have spoken about for a whole hour? I’m guessing you approached her first but did Harrison pick her out of the crowd?”

“I. Don’t. Remember” Connie said, raising her voice slightly “You can ask me as many ways as you like I don’t remember talking to her or even seeing her.”

“It can’t be a coincidence Connie” you said “They know that you helped Harrison lure these girls in just like you were doing with Lily outside that bar. They know that Harrison helped you and your Mom with your Dad and you love him because of that. What we need to know is if there was anyone else, if anyone else was forsaken?”

“Are you forsaken Connie?” asked Spencer suddenly. Connie’s gaze snapped away from you. If looks could kill Spencer would have be annihilated in an instant.

“What?”

“Are you forsaken Connie?” he repeated “You have the same background as Lily, as all the girls Harrison killed. Why didn’t he try and save your soul? Why didn’t he kill you?”

“He loves me” spat Connie “I am his entire world. I’m his angel”

“Yeah he says that a lot which is what so confusing” said Spencer “He’s disgusted by these women, he wants to completely eradicate them. Why you then? You’re everything he hates. Why would he want you?”

There was a loud crash as Connie slammed her hand down onto the interrogation table between them, she was shaking and her face was twisted into a snarl. Spencer frowned. Your gaze flicked between the two of them for a moment.

“Guard!” Connie yelled and the sound made you jump “Guard we’re done!” Connie never took her eyes of Spencer as she was led from the room. You let out a sigh of relief once she was gone.

“What the actual fuck was that?” you asked Spencer.

“We need to go”

“What?”

“Please, I need to leave.” You blinked and looked at him. He looked pale, like he was about to throw up, a sheen of sweat you hadn’t noticed before covering his face. All the composure he had managed to keep during the interrogation had gone. “Please I can’t stay in here, I’ve got to get out”

You nodded and hurried out after him, through the prison checks and out into the fresh air. You stood in silence for a while as Spencer took deep breaths, trying to steady himself. You felt a little useless, just standing there watching him. 

“We-we should review that footage” Spencer said finally “Sorry for rushing us out”

“I understand” you said gently “That was really brave going in there like that.”

“Not really” said Spencer with a weak smile “I didn’t get what we needed”

“You got something. In the whole time I spoke to Connie she never reacted to anything like that.”

“She doesn’t like men challenging her.”

“Who does?” you asked with a snort. Spencer laughed but it came out sounding more like a cough.

“Something’s wrong. Can’t put my finger on it yet but that wasn’t quite the reaction I was expecting”

“We can try again tomorrow” Emily appeared behind the two of you, making you jump “Are you okay to come back to station y/n and go through the interview footage with us? There’s takeout in it for you”

“How could I pass that up?” you grinned. You gave Spencer a reassuring pat on the arm before leaving to grab your stuff.

“That was good work Spencer” Emily said softly once you’d gone, “ I know that must have been hard for you”

Spencer nodded, not wanting to risk trying to speak. Maybe it was good work but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something they were missing.


	8. Chapter 8

Mostly you hung back as the BAU picked apart every frame of the footage you had gotten in the prison. There were debates over the phrasing she’d used, some of her micro expressions, and of course her outburst at the end.

Spencer also seemed to be removed from the conversation. You suspected that the whole thing had shaken him up more than he let on. You tried to catch his eye, hoping to reassure him with a smile but he was staring down at a file.

“How many times have you physically sat down face to face with Connie before today” Tara asked you, pulling your attention away from Spencer.

“Three not including today” you said “The first time I sat down with her we chatted about safe subjects for a few hours. The only part she steered me away from was her childhood. Though the second time was only thirty minutes, that was the first time that I brought up the murders, she freaked out and called the guard”

“Like today?”

“She wasn’t as angry that time. Today was the first time I’d seen her like that. Last time it was more like she clammed up, like she was uncomfortable”

“She doesn’t view you as a threat” said Spencer, finally looking up “What happened the third time?”

“Connie refused to see me for about a month after that but when I went back it was like nothing had happened. She avoided questions about her past again and said very little about Harrison”

“Okay” said Rossi, rubbing his temples “What do we know for sure?”

“Harrison killed at least eight girls” said Luke “He’s admitted that much. At the very least Connie was aware of what was going on”

“So the questions we need to answer are: How much did Connie participate? Are there other bodies? What caused Connie to lash out like that?” Emily ticked the reasons off on her fingers “We aren’t going to answer any of those questions tonight. We should head back to the motel. Y/N are you able to come by tomorrow? I’m going to arrange another interview with Connie, it’s time to go on the offensive.”

“I’m in!” you said and then immediately regretted your over-enthusiastic response “I mean -”

“We’ll see you in the morning” said Emily with a small smile “Let’s get going guys.” The team filed out but Spencer hung back. There was an awkward silence once you were alone. 

“That was amazing today” you said eventually “You really pushed her buttons. I spent ages reading up about her, talking to her mother, people who knew her growing up, anyone I could get to talk to be and-” you waved your arms uselessly. Truth be told you were kind of frustrated. You had spent ages trying to get Connie to even see you and then gotten nothing from her.

“I know this must have been hard for you” said Spencer “Us coming in here, pushing you out and then walking all over your_”

“It isn’t my anything” you cut him off “I mean it is but… what I mean is that I know that finding out the truth is more important than my ego it’s just… I guess I thought that I was good at this, at getting people to talk and maybe I’m not”

“Gillian came to you for a reason” said Spencer softly “She poured her heart out to you, along with all those other people you interviewed. You got your friend out of prison. You  _are_  good at this. There is so much more going on with Connie though.”

“How do you mean?”

“I’m not sure yet” said Spencer with a frown “But I think we’re looking at this thing completely the wrong way”

You were about to ask him exactly what he meant when JJ poked her head round the door.

“Hey Spence, we’re ready to go”

“I’ll be there in a sec” he answered. He lowered his voice as he turned back to you.

“I wanted to say thank you as well, you know, for last night?” You went slightly pink.

“You’re welcome” you said quietly “I know how it can be.”

“I’ll see you in the morning” Spencer said, talking at normal volume again. You nodded, still blushing as he left.

 _Ugh, seriously get a a grip, you’re embarrassing yourself…_ you shook your head. The feeling was nice though, comforting.

* * *

“Thanks for last night?” JJ waited until they were out of earshot, a smile spreading across her face “You were with her after you ran off?”

“Not like that” said Spencer, tiredly “I just needed someone to talk to”

“You could have talked to me” she said, a note of hurt creeping into her voice.

“I know! I just needed to be away from the team” said Spencer “I needed to talk to someone who wasn’t there. You must know what that’s like.”

“Yeah Spence I do” said JJ “Did it help, talking to y/n?”

“Yeah, she’s a good listener” said Spencer. He wanted to go on, to explain how he felt that you had been through something too but he didn’t. It felt like betrayal of trust to mention it so he left it at that.

“I’m glad” aid JJ “You’ve been through enough”

“We all have”

“I just want you to know how proud I am of you and how strong you’ve been” said JJ, stopping as they approached the SUVs. The rest of the team couldn’t hear them.

“Thanks” said Spencer “It means a lot”

They climbed into the cars and headed back to the motel, all eager to get some rest. Spencer didn’t manage to sleep very well. He couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong, that they were missing something important. The sun was rising just as he managed to drift off, still sleepily grasping at something just beyond his reach.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating here, I have been moving house and have no internet! Everything is queued over on my Tumblr so the chapter was published but I could't move it here until today.

Overall you maybe got a couple of hours sleep, the thought of Connie and Spencer’s cryptic commit made it impossible to relax. You slouched into the police station bleary eyed clutching the biggest cup of coffee that you’d been able to buy and two bottles of energy drink shoved into your bag.

The BAU team were emerging from the Captain’s office with grim faces.

“Bad news?” you croaked.

“The prison is shut down” said Emily “Harrison was attacked last night”

“How? He’s supposed to be in isolation” you said with a frown

“Yeah we’re still trying to work that one out” said Spencer, agitated. You knew this must be hitting him hard in particular.

“How bad was he hurt?” you asked.

“Pretty bad” said Tara “He was stabbed eight times, lost a hell of a lot of blood but they were able to stabilise him and get him to the hospital. He’s in the ICU under armed guard.”

“Last we heard he was still unconscious” added Emily “Dave and Tara you guys head to the hospital, I want Harrison questioned as soon as he wakes up”

“What about talking to Connie?” asked Spencer “It’s more important now than ever!”

“Warden’s rules. No one goes in or out” said Emily “Gillian Georgette is coming in to the station for another interview. I want you and y/n to press her a bit more, show her the footage from your interview if you have to”

“Isn’t that kind of extreme?” you asked. Gillian wasn’t the criminal here, she was just a vulnerable woman concerned about her daughter.

“There’s something else I think we should look at” said Spencer “The two prisons share staff right?”

“Yeah, where are you going with this?” asked JJ.

“Does that include guards?”

There was a long heavy pause. The same expression seemed to flick across the faces of the team.

“So you think a guard was involved in the attack on Harrison?” asked Rossi

“At Connie’s behest” said Spencer firmly.

“What?” you exclaimed “Why? That makes no sense”

“Because she’s the dominant partner” explained Spencer “She’s the one who manipulated harrison into committing the murders starting with killing her father”

“What makes you suspect that?” asked Emily.

“Eight stab wounds and eight confirmed victims - it’s a message. Harrison and Gillian both talk about the will of God, of getting messages from God. Who delivers God’s messages?”

“Angels” said Luke, realisation dawning on his face “Harrison calls Connie his angel”

“That’s a pet name though” you said incredulous “Connie has always been timid, meek, there is nothing about her that says dominant”

“Apart from when she lost her cool yesterday” said Spencer “That was her mask slipping. She was furious when I suggested she was anything like the girls Harrison kills. Connie sees them as weak because they remind her of how her father used to make her feel so by killing them she’s proving she’s stronger, better than they are”

You turned this over in your mind. It made absolutely no sense. Didn’t it?

“Why would Connie want Harrison dead?” JJ asked 

“Because he’s talking to us” said Rossi “It’s kind of hard to get the guy to shut up when he starts talking.”

“It’s like you said y/n, Harrison is a showman. The whole thing is a performance. He is devoted to Connie and her cause so he was more than willing to take the fall for all the crimes but now he’s going too far and he needs to be gotten rid of before he reveals the truth” Spencer said.

“How do we prove all that though?” asked Luke “I mean Harrison will go to the grave claiming he worked alone”

“We need to push Connie further” said Emily “I’ll talk to the warden but it will take time for him to budge. It’s still worth talking to both Harrison and Gillian. If we can get Harrison to see he’s being manipulated then we may be able to get him to turn on her or at the very least we can prove he’s been lying about Connie’s involvement”

“On it Boss” said Tara and she and Rossi quickly headed out to the hospital. 

“JJ and Luke can you go co-ordinate with Garcia and start compiling a list of all personnel who work in both parts of the prison? Not just the guards, I don’t want to narrow down the search too much”. They nodded and hurried out.

“Spencer I know it was your theory but you and y/n have a bond with Gillian and she may be able to spread some light on Harrison and Connie’s dynamic.” Emily said. Spencer nodded and the Unit Chief left them to go and speak to the Captain.

You stood there numb, hardly believing what had happened in the past few moments. 

“Y/n?” Spencer said softly “Are you okay?”

“Yeah I guess…it’s just…could Connie really behind everything?”

“I think so. There was something wrong about her in that interrogation yesterday.”

“How did you make the jump to this?”

“Experience” Spencer said darkly. It was the attack on Harrison that had sealed his conviction in his theory. The whole situation made him think of Wilkes and of Shaw’s threats to him in his final days in prison. From there the jump to an enterprising woman manipulating the prison staff wasn’t such a huge one. 

“It’s a double edged sword” you mused “You go through something terrible that know one should go through but it changes the way you see the world and in a perverse way it makes you stronger and able to see things that other people can’t”

“Can I ask what happened to you? You don’t have to say if you don’t want to”

“It’s a usual story, too usual. There was a man and no one believed me. For years and years I was so alone. I think that’s why i’m here now, I don’t like the idea of anyone not being believed. Maybe that’s what makes me so gullible, so willing to believe that Connie is a victim”

“That’s not gullible” said Spencer “It’s good to have faith in people. You’ll be consumed if you lose that”

“You didn’t lose that in prison?”

“I don’t think so” he said with a small smile and your heart did a little flip “My friends came through for me, I got out. There’s always hope.”

“Thank you” you said, taking his hand without thinking and giving it a squeeze. He blushed but gripped your hand back. You stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Spencer’s thumb brushed over your knuckles.

“We’re going to find out the truth, I promise” he said softly before releasing your hand. All you could do is nod in response, settling down to wait for Gillian to arrive.


	10. Chapter 10

You set a cup of coffee down in front of Gillian and smiled at her. Spencer had chosen a quiet room used for interviewing witnesses rather than an interrogation room so as to make her feel as comfortable as possible. 

Spencer sat beside her using that same gentle voice as the first time he had spoken to her. First of all he explained about Harrison’s attack in prison which distressed Gillian somewhat. Spencer calmed her down, explained that he was stable.

“Thank God” Gillian murmured over and over again, closing her eyes as if she was praying. You and Spencer exchanged a glance.

“Do you mind if we talk a bit about the girls Harrison killed?” asked Spencer cautiously.

“Why? He confessed” said Gillian “He’s told you people everything, what can I tell you”

“The girls he killed had very difficult home lives” Spencer explained as he pulled out a thick file. Inside were a stack of photographs, all of young woman “Her name was Fiona Alwick, she was nineteen. Her father died when she was five and her mother remarried three times after that, each man being more violent than the last. Fiona had to run away to escape them when she was fifteen. She lived on the streets until Harrison found her.”

Gillian said nothing. Spencer placed her photo on the table and held up the next one.

“This is Debbie Moss. When Harrison killed her she was only sixteen, working two jobs to support her younger sisters. They were orphaned and their landlord kept raising the rent and when Debbie couldn’t scrape together enough cash he started demanding she pay in other ways”

Still Gillian was silent.

“Gabriella Scott was victim number three. Twenty years old, her father was a drug dealer who made Gabriella move his products for him because she looked so much younger than she was no one would suspect her. Victim four was a girl called Lily Fitzpatrick, she’s the girl Connie was seen-”

“Stop. Please stop.”

“You never heard there names before did you?” you asked softly. Gillian’s lip quivered and it suddenly struck you how childlike she looked.

“I thought…I just wanted to pretend that it never happened but I can’t”

“Gillian” Spencer took her hand, his tone firmer now but still soft and sympathetic “It’s really important that you tell us the truth now okay? It’s important for those girls that dies, for Harrison and it’s important for Connie okay?”

Gillian nodded, tears spilling from her eyes. 

“Okay we need to know about your husband” said Spencer and Gillian let out a strangled cry. You took her other hand.

“He was violent wasn’t he?” you asked.

“He was a monster. I tried to leave I swear but we never got far, he would always come and find us and after a while it seemed hopeless and I just gave up…” 

“It wasn’t your fault, none of this is your fault” you said, your throat tightening as you thought of what this woman had been through. 

“How did your husband die Gillian?” Spencer asked. He glanced at you. You knew that there was a time pressure but you were still concerned about what effect the whole thing was having on Gillian. You squeezed her hand a little tighter. 

“He set traps in the forest and would go and check them everyday. One day he went out and never came back. They said that an animal got half caught in one of the traps and he went to shoot it and the gun misfired”

“Do you believe that’s what happened?” Spencer asked. Gillian shook her head fiercely. The tears were coming thick and fast now. 

“He-he told Harrison about the traps” Gillian choked out “W-when he and Connie first started dating my husband took Harrison out there and sh-showed him his guns and the traps and everything. Harrison came by the house that morning then d-disappeared, I didn’t s-see him until the day after the body was found.”

“Did Harrison know that your husband beat you and Connie?” you asked. Gillian nodded again, a strangled cry escaping her.

“Could Connie have asked Harrison for help?” Spencer asked, squeezing Gillian’s hand. Gillian let out a howl, pulling her hands away and dragging them through her hair. You and Spencer exchanged a look and you were afraid that you’d gone too far. 

Gillian sobbed for ten minutes and you quietly tried to calm her down and reassure her. Her reaction was answer enough for you but the FBI were going to need her to spell it out. Finally the crying eased and Gillian took a couple of deep shuddering breaths.

“Connie told me everything would be okay” Gillian said, her voice barely above a whisper “The night before he died, she came and said all our problems would go away. Harrison was smitten the moment he laid eyes on her, did anything and everything she asked so when she said that I knew. I knew Jonathan wasn’t going to make it home the next day…and I was glad! Everything was going to be better but then they left and they would come back to visit and Harrison would say these strange things. They argued once. They thought I didn’t hear but I did. Harrison wanted to tell everyone they were doing God’s work, wanted his angel to deliver the news to everyone so they could be saved but Connie got so mad and threatened to leave him - she said the work must remain a secret which made no sense because Connie hates all that church stuff, always has. Harrison said he would die if she left, she was his only reason for living.”

You felt ill. How could you have been so wrong? Connie had been pulling the strings all along. Gillian continued to sobbed and you heard Spencer reassure her that he was going to get Connie the help she needed before the two of you left her to wait for the support worker.

“We need to get Harrison to see she was using him so he’ll tell us about the other victims.” said Spencer once you were outside 

“You heard what Gillian said. Harrison would die for her, there is no way we can get him to turn on her.” you said.

“Actually I have an idea” said Spencer “But I need your help”


	11. Chapter 11

When you met back up with the rest of Spencer’s team you explained what Gillian had told you. Then it was Rossi and Tara’s turn.

“Harrison is awake but he’s being uncooperative” Rossi explained.

“Did he see who attacked him?” asked Emily.

“Hard to say’ said Tara “All he would say was that it was the will of God. Just kept repeating that over and over”

“That’s definitely Connie’s work then” you said darkly “She set him up to be killed and he  _still_  won’t turn on her.”

“Emily can you get us in to see Connie?” asked Spencer “I think I can get her to talk”

“It took a hell of a lot of persuading but the Warden has agreed to a thirty minute slot this afternoon.”

“That’s not enough time” said Spencer.

“It’ll have to be” said Emily “He’s on edge since the attack on Harrison. They found the guard responsible and he’s in custody but there’s a chance there could be others in on it and we can’t take the risk. You’ll be meeting with Connie in solitary. Luke and I will be outside the entire time along with a hand picked selection of guards who have been vetted. You need to get her to spill everything in thirty minutes”

* * *

“Can you do it?” you asked as Spencer handed you a can from the vending machine in the break room.

“I’m going to have to” said Spencer. He looked tired.

“The interview with Gillian really got to you didn’t it?” you asked. You pushed down the overwhelming desire to each out and touch his hand. You were still a little embarrassed about the overly long moment earlier. Neither of you had mentioned it, maybe it wasn’t a thing to him. It had felt like a  _moment_  to you though. 

“Yeah, she really reminds me of my Mom and me being locked up was so hard on her. I guess I just want to spare Gillian from that. It isn’t her fault what happened, she didn’t make Connie do those things”

“Gillian is tougher than she looks” you said “Maybe this will be a chance for her to move forward once the truth comes out.”

“What about you?” asked Spencer “What are you going to do once it’s over?”

“This isn’t the film I thought I was making” you said with a sad smile “I want to tell the stories of these girls, not the people who killed them. I want to find the ones that have been lost and tell their stories: what they overcame, who they were rather than how they died.”

Spencer smiled at you. It was a warm smile and you felt butterflies in your stomach.

“I’m looking forward to seeing that”

“I’ll get you tickets to the premiere Monte Cristo”

“Hey guys we’re up!” Luke called from the other side of the room “Time to go”.

You grabbed your camera and headed out, completely missing the grin Luke gave Spencer indicating how much he’d overheard. 

* * *

“Thanks for seeing us again Connie” said Spencer. 

“Did I have a choice?”

“Not really” said Spencer. His tone was easy but he was tense. You weren’t sure Connie could pick up on it as she was in full defensive mode but you could see it. Spencer looked ready to bolt for the door at a moment’s notice.

“I have told you everything I know. It will be waste of time for both of us if you continue to ask the same questions over and over again.” Connie said, her voice even but with a hint of malice.

“That’s okay I want to talk about something else today.” said Spencer. You had already set the camera up and you zoomed back a bit so that Connie’s head and shoulders were in shot. Connie glanced your way, wary of the camera this time but she said nothing. She hadn’t been given the choice to not be filmed. 

“So Connie, when was the last time you went to church?”

“What?” Connie looked genuinely confused.

“When was the last time you went to church? You used to take your mother right?”

Spencer started to lightly tap his foot on the floor as he spoke. 

“I don’t want to talk about my mother” said Connie.

“We aren’t, we’re talking about the last time you went to church. How long before your arrest?”

“A few months maybe”

“You don’t remember exactly?” asked Spencer.

“I’ve been in here a while” Connie snapped. You bit your lip. You couldn’t look directly at her, instead focussing on her face on the screen as if that degree of separation somehow diminished her power.

“So the last time you went to church was a few months before your arrest. Did you go with your mother or Harrison?”

“My mother. I took her whenever I went back home.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Does anyone enjoy church?”  
  
“Your mother did. She was going to three services a week at one point.”

There was a stony silence save for the soft tap of Spencer’s foot. You allowed yourself to glance at him, his face completely impassive. You wondered if that was how he was when he confronted the woman who framed him in prison. You felt a sudden, desperate need for both of you to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Harrison is a man of faith” Spencer added after a moment “He claims he was following the word of God, doing God’s work.”

“I’m sure a lot of psychopaths say that” said Connie, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back in the chair.

“Harrison believes it” said Spencer “He believes that God told him to kill those girls. He grew up in a church run orphanage. A religious upbringing almost as strict as yours”. The corner of Connie’s eye twitched. You knew Spencer clocked it too. “Your mother is devout. Your father wasn’t though right? Maybe that’s why your mother went to church so often. Was she praying for God to take your father away?”

“You’re fishing agent. I don’t know what you’re trying to catch but you won’t find it”

“Harrison called you his angel. Angels are God’s messengers.”

Realisation dawned on Connie’s face and she burst out laughing.

“Please tell me you have a better angle than that”

“Do you believe in God?”

“What?” the smiled slipped from Connie’s face. 

“Do you believe in God?” Spencer repeated, more slowly this time.

“What does that have to do with anything?”  
  
“Everything” said Spencer “Harrison believed the murders were God’s work, did you believe that too?”

“I didn’t know about what Harrison was doing until after we were arrested. I’ve told you that”

“Yeah but that’s a lie” said Spencer “A pretty weak lie too. Your mother told us you got Harrison to kill your father.”

Connie went white.

“She lying” said Connie “She is a distressed, vulnerable woman. You can’t trust anything she says.”

“She said you and Harrison fought when he wanted to tell people about the messages from God”

“That’s a lie. I-”

“She also said that Harrison would die if you left him. You don’t love him Connie, you tried to have him killed because you couldn’t keep him quiet any longer”

“I am done with this!” yelled Connie.

“I’m not” snapped Spencer.

“You have the words two lunatics to go on. No one will believe my mother or Harrison and you will look like an idiot if you try and get them to testify”

Spencer flinched and you suspected it wasn’t because she called him an idiot. Your heart was hammering in your chest. Connie wasn’t going to take the bait. You were going to leave there with nothing.

“What happens when we show Harrison this tape? What happens when he hears you call him a lunatic? Or better yet we can show this to your mother. What did she do to deserve a daughter like you?”

“I saved her!” screeched Connie “I got rid of him from our lives. She owes me. I was the only one strong enough. I saved her, what we were doing wasn’t living! We were barely surviving! I saved her, I saved Harrison and I-”

Connie stopped. She was shaking, her mouth hanging open and her eyes widening as she realised what she had said. You saw a small smile form on Spencer’s lips and his foot stilled. 

“This proves nothing” said Connie quietly.

“Maybe” said Spencer with a shrug “But it will make for interesting viewing and we can use it to get through to Harrison.”

“He won’t turn on me” said Connie “I’m his angel. It’s like turning on God”

“Goodbye Connie” Spencer rose and you followed, aware of your legs shaking.

“You going to put this in your little movie?” Connie shouted after you. You turned.

“No” you said “You’ve had enough attention. My film is about the girls you killed and the lives you ruined.”

“Like your mother’s life” said Spencer “Like Harrison’s life”

Connie’s eyes flicked between the two of you. 

“Tell Harrison from me God has forsaken him” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wraps up the case pretty much but there is one final chapter next week dealing with the fallout. I feel I have to mention too, that Connie may be one of my favourite characters I've ever written.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter wrapping up what happens with the Reader and Spencer. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this!

_Nine Months Later…_

“This was not what I thought a film premiere would be like” said Spencer as he looked around at the crowd of people mingling in the cinema foyer.

“Disappointed by the lack of red carpet?” you grinned “Sorry it’s not to your standards Monte Cristo”

The Lumiere Cinema in DC was a renovated theatre that also functioned as a community arts centre. A friend from film school worked there as a programmer and she had helped you organise a screening event to be followed by a Q&A with yourself and a panel of experts. It was a small indie venue, laid-back to the point of verging on the hipster-esque but it attracted film enthusiasts, students and the food and drink was cheap.

The rest of the BAU were also around though Spencer was the only one you had roped into helping with the Q&A afterwards. You had also invited a child psychologist and the director of a women’s charity to round out the panel. There was a lot of buzz around the event and you were excited. The film had taken up over a year of your life, it was your baby and you wanted to share it.

“It’s a relief actually” said Spencer “Red carpets are really not my thing. This is much nicer”

“Thank you for helping” you said “I didn’t want the whole thing to feel exploitative and I didn’t want Connie to be the focus. It should be those girls whose stories I’m telling”

It had taken a little  but Harrison had confessed to the murders of four more girls once he saw the footage that you had shot of the interrogation and the BAU had managed to get through to him that he was being used by Connie the whole time. Their bodies had been found and returned home. It didn’t bring them back but it acknowledged that they had lived, that they weren’t forgotten.

“What’s next for you?” asked Spencer, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Well I’m hoping to tour it round some film festivals, maybe see if I can set it up for people to watch online. I want as many people to see it as possible, to know what happened” you said.

“So you’ll be really busy for a while then”

Did he sound disappointed?

“I’ll still be easy to get hold of if someone wanted to call me or email me.”

“I don’t use email. I mean I use email for work but I don’t have a personal one” Spencer blushed. He  _was_  disappointed. You smiled, feeling warm inside.

“Of course you don’t. Why do I keep letting you surprise me Monte Cristo?”

“I was wondering that too.”

You were about to say something else, you hadn’t quite worked out what though, when a voice shouted over the crowd that the movie was about to start. You took a deep breath as everyone went to take their seats and followed, with Spencer behind you.

* * *

It was a success. The film was well received and the audience was really engaged with the discussion afterwards. In fact the whole thing ran on for an hour longer than you’d planned for because the audience was so keen to ask questions.

You were exhausted once everyone had left. As much as you enjoyed sharing your work it left you a little drained.

“Where are you staying tonight?” asked Spencer, pulling on his coat.

“A school friend is putting me up” you explained “I’ve had my fill of hotels for a while”

“Can I see you before you leave?” Spencer asked hesitantly. You nodded. “One thing I’ve learned is that it’s important not to let things slip by because you’re afraid of the outcome”

“You’re thinking of Gillian”

“Yeah I guess. I know I said she reminded me of my mother but she also reminded me of myself.”

“How?”

“I am really bad at reaching out for help. It’s pretty much how I ended up in prison. I put up walls and when you do that-”

“You end up pretty lonely” you finished for him. He nodded.

There was a heavy silence between you two.

“There’s a cinema in town that does all night showings of classic films” you said softly “It’s not dinner and dancing but I get the impression you aren’t that kind of guy”

“I’m not” Spencer grinned. You held out a hand for him to take which he did without a moment’s hesitation. 

“This isn’t to get out of calling me is it?” you asked, only half joking. Spencer responded with a kiss on your cheek and then, after a second’s pause, another one on your lips.

“I’ll take that as a no”


End file.
